Zoos in UP's Gorapkhpur, Kanpur reopen after 56-day bird flu scare

After 56 days of closure due to a bird flu outbreak, zoos in Gorakhpur and Kanpur reopened on Tuesday.

The outbreak claimed the lives of four big cats, including two tigers, a leopard and a serval in Gorakhpur, and a peacock and an asiatic lion in Kanpur.

Both zoos shut their doors on May 13 after a tigress named Shakti tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza and died. A team from the Central Zoo Authority visited the Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan Zoological Park in Gorakhpur and identified ducks as the likely source of the virus.

The influenza spread to the Kanpur zoo after an asiatic lion was brought from the Gorakhpur zoo for medical treatment.

“In accordance with protocol, the reopening was allowed only after two back-to-back negative reports. All necessary precautions and bio-security measures are in place to ensure public and animal safety,” said Gorakhpur zoo director Vikas Yadav.

He said that 72 samples sent in phases to the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal tested negative. A second consecutive negative report was received on July 4, and the government clearance for the reopening came on July 7.

Similarly, a written approval from the chief wildlife warden was issued to reopen the Kanpur zoo after confirming that all animals are infection-free and the zoo is safe for visitors following multiple rounds of testing at NIHSAD, Bhopal and receiving the two latest consecutive reports as negative on May 26 and June 17, said Kanpur zoo range forest officer Naved Ikram.

All necessary precautions and bio-security protocols have been implemented to ensure the safety of both animals and the public, he added.

A tigress called Mailani remains under observation. Although she tested negative for bird flu two months ago, her condition hasn't improved. “She's immobile and suffering from organ damage despite ongoing treatment,” said the Gorakhpur zoo's deputy director Dr Yogesh Pratap Singh.

Meanwhile, nearly 400 visitors, including many children, entered the Gorakhpur zoo between 9 am and 11 am after the zoo opened.

“Everything is normal, and people are enjoying their visit,” Singh said.